Orange Moon Monday, January 9, 2023 "The Light, the Vine, the River"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

    

              "The Light, the Vine, the River"         

    

     What if we had awoken this morning to find the Bible declares, "Be strong in yourself, and in the power of your own might?"

   It is possible that on some days, when the sun shines brightly, we have slept well, our metabolism is clicking along rather nicely, and no major challenges seem to loom on the horizon, we might have at least an inkling of a notion that boasts, "I can handle this!"  Yes, flesh will be flesh, and even the most godly among us can be tempted to pride and self sufficiency.

   Thankfully, Scripture commands and demands no such futility.

    "My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).

    Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ do not live by ourselves and our own might.  "To live is Christ… In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (Philippians 1:21; I John 4:9).  We rather navigate the challenging paths of this present world by the leading, motivation, and enabling of Another.  We play a vital role in the relationship by trusting and submitting to "the Author and Finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  Never, however, does the power to truly live in any manner whatsoever originate in us.  We are lamps of God's light, branches of His vine, and tributaries of the mighty river of the risen Christ.  Indeed, the same power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead dwells in us to enable us in every responsibility and calling in our lives.  "Ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God" (Colossians 2:12).

   We awoke today to find the Word of God and the Spirit of God beckoning us to realize wherein resides our strength for every moment of this day.  "Christ, the power of God" declared the Apostle Paul of the Light, the Vine, and the River that infuses our lives with His life (I Corinthians 1:24).  Paul also affirmed, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).  Yes, when our eyes opened this morning, Heaven called us to see that we do not live this life alone.  The Spirit of Christ lives in us, that we may live through Him.  This moment finds the Word and the Spirit continuing to call us to look beyond ourselves for the Strength that resides within ourselves in Christ.  "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."

"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (enliven) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."

(Romans 8:9-10)

"We shall live with Him by the power of God."

(II Corinthians 13:4)

Weekly Memory Verse

     And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

(I Timothy 1:14)

     

   

  

    

     

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